Originality : Homemade Laundry Detergent

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 1:9 (NIV)

All different; all the same.

There was this girl, right? She made an effort to dislike things that “everyone else” liked. Music in the top 10? Ugh. Fashion trends? Boooring. Oprah’s Bookclub? Ohmigod you’vegottobekiddingme gag. It wasn’t so much that she worked to be different – it was just that she dismissed anything that was popular.

And sometimes … sometimes secretly she liked a Beyonce song, or a cutout dress, and occasionally she’d sneak furitive reads from passages of Toni Morrison’s books at Barnes and Noble. But inevitably, regardless of the fact that she might have been slightly intrigued, she’d toss everything aside and run to the local thrift shop or used bookstore, or she’d just hide out in her house and tell herself that popular opinion was trite and ignorant and boring, never – not even once – questioning what her personal opinion was. Because her personal opinion was, by default, the opposite of everyone else’s.

On inspection, she believed it was because she wanted to be original. Originality was always the unreachable goal.

And then one day, being that girl, I figured out why. I wasn’t seeking my original opinions about anything – I was just assuming my originality would be found in dismissing everything anyone has ever liked or done before.

I stopped doing things out of fear of repetition, or, even worse, unintentional plagiarism.

What is originality? Undetected plagiarism. – Dean Inge

Finally, moments of conversations from years ago started sneaking into my brain, and I figured out that I was confused. I’d grown up hearing “Don’t be like everyone else,” only to be reminded sharply, when I began feeling exceptional, that I was “not special, so stop thinking you’re different from everyone else.”

So how do learn to be original? Do original things? But still be IN society, appreciate it, and learn from it? How do you stop being afraid of being like everyone else, and start learning that, in your own very unique ways, you are like everyone else?

You take something someone else did, and you do it your way. Authentically. With heart. You own it – make it yours. Maybe you improve something, or add to something, but someone else’s something is always going to come first. And you remember, there’s nothing new under the sun. Ever. Not even the transparent toaster (which I would love … coughhintcough).

So, in celebration of originality, I’m giving the recipe anyone who’s ever tried frugal, simple, natural, or simply curious living has tried. Homemade laundry detergent. The recipe is identical to every other site’s on the ‘net. But I use it – always – and I have, henceforth, made it mine.

All the ingredients you need for homemade laundry detergent.

SIMPLE HOMEMADE DRY LAUNDRY DETERGENT

2 cups finely grated Zote, Fels Naptha, or Ivory soap

1 cup borax

1 cup washing soda

Container

The best way to make this detergent is to remember the 2:1:1 ratio. When I grate a bar of Zote, I inevitably come up with somewhere between5 and 6 cups – so I just add enough of the borax and washing soda to complete the 2:1:1 ratio (so it ends up being just about 6 cups Zote, 3 cups each of the other two).

Also, I recommend using a hand grater for the soap. I tried using my food processor’s grating plate, and ended up with a gooey mess that took forever to get off. Don’t put a gooey soap-coated grater, by the way, into your dishwasher, or you might end up with a suds-covered kitchen floor.

Grated Zote soap.

So, basically, first you grate the soap.

The soap likes to stick to you, to the surface you’re grating on, and to important papers like your car insurance cards that your fiance forgot to put into the car even though you reminded him, like, eight thousand times.

Just be ready to wipe a lot of things off. Except the insurance cards. Print new ones off from your online account.

Zote is going to be particularly fragrant, and pink, but neither of those things will affect the washing of laundry. Once laundry is done, I smell nothing on the clothes. Nothing but pure and clean.

For the record, I find and stock up on Zote soap every time I make my thrice-yearly trip to Big Lots. I’ve seen Fels Naptha in a King Soopers once. And you know Ivory – it’s everywhere. And just as effective as the first two options. I just choose Zote, because it’s not as “commercial,” and it’s historically used for laundry.

Pour in the washing soda, carefully.

Next, you want to add in the washing soda and borax carefully. If you go too fast, you’ll end up with powder in your nose. Then you will sneeze. A lot.

Also, I don’t recommend taking pictures of pouring these things into your container – especially while standing in a window that happens to be over your desktop keyboard.

While trying to get the right shot, you’ll misjudge the distance of your hand to the box. And then you have to get a new keyboard.

I get both of these things from either King Sooper, or, when I haven’t waited until the box is completely empty and have time to spare for shipping, I will (for much less money), get them from Alice.com.

So add these things into your box of laundry magic and stir really well. Really well. You might want to use your hands to help distribute everything, and to crush your grated soap into even smaller pieces. I’ve noticed that doing it this way is much easier and more time-efficient than worrying for 20 minutes whether your grated soap is small enough to disintegrate in the washing machine.

So after you’ve stirred, the concoction is going to look like this. The soap (if you’re using Zote), will be much less pink with hopefully smaller “grates.”

Now all you have to do is wash your clothes with it. I stuck an old measuring cup from regular laundry detergent into my box, and I typically use anywhere from an eighth to a quarter of a cup with each load, depending on how dirty the laundry is – or how many pairs of yoga pants I’ve stuffed the washing machine full with.

Interestingly, I read an article recently on Yahoo that stated that, technically, laundry detergent is a ginormous rip-off and wholly unnecessary. Maybe one of these days I’ll try not using any detergent at all – but this article did give me reason to believe that we can all cut down on the amount of detergent we use, whether it’s homemade or (gasp) store-bought.

I’d also like to point out that many recipes online are for liquid laundry detergent. I am too lazy for all that work. And the description of what this liquid detergent turns out looking like is slightly horrifying.

Dry detergent works just fine for me. Only once have I had a problem with the detergent not dissolving completely, and that was a time where I had packed the washing machine too full, had used WAY more than I needed to of detergent, and I’d put a very nappy sweater in there. It was the only thing in there that borax was clinging desperately to.

My pretty little laundry detergent box.

Here’s a picture of my new laundry detergent box – made specifically for this post. Before, I had been using an old shoebox to house my detergent, and while effective, it wasn’t really all that aesthetically pleasing.

I papered the lid of a black photo box, and then (with clear precision) glued on the word “laundry” with the same paper. The flower isn’t real. It’s a paper flower. I know you were wondering.

So here’s where I need help:

I do not put any fragrance in my detergent. I’ve tried lemon and lavender essential oils in the detergent, but the scent never stays.

I’ve also tried several drops of said oils in my homemade dryer sheets (which consist of white-vinegar-soaked cut up pieces of flannel pillowcase). Still, no lingering fragrance.

While I do appreciate the purity of laundry having no smell whatsoever after being washed, sometimes I want that teddy-bear-jumping-on-towels-and-bouncing-up-flowers-ness to my laundry. But it all has to be natural. No chemicals. Any ideas how to get that?

Does anyone have any suggestions? Is there a way you do your laundry, naturally, that wasn’t touched on here? Any comments? Suggestions? “Original” ideas?

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51 Responses to “Originality : Homemade Laundry Detergent”

Comments

HA! I don’t know much about scenting laundry as I am a total cliched consumer who pays big money at my local co- op for green products when I could come here and get all these simple, fabulous recipes for free. I do know that when someone asked me just yesterday what other blogs I followed I said almost none because I am afraid I will read something, forget, and then later think I have this great idea for a post. I better go, all of the sudden I feel totally inspired to blog about plagiarism and originality.

Great post (you were describing me to a T, which was kind of scary)! As for pleasant lingering scents in the laundry… I put 1/8 – 1/4 cup (small handful) of dried lavender in the toe of an old (clean) white sock, tie a knot in the top and toss it in the dryer with each load. It’ll last for quite a few loads, then just refill when the scent starts to fade.

If you just want your laundry to smell a little fresher, what I would do is put about 10-15 drops of lavender essential oil in spray bottle filled with water. After the clothes dry (but before you pull them from the line), give them a light spritz with the spray bottle.

Oh I love your recipe. I have one that calls for baking soda instead of washing soda (might be the same thing or similar) and glycerin soap – but I’d rather use Zote or castile soap. Thanks for posting this…I’m making some this weekend as I’ve declared (and fortunately my husband puts up with these declarations) no more buying laundry soap. Now, I’m off to check out what else you’re making!

Anyone try using homemade saches in the dresser drawer or hanging on a few hangers in the closet. I’ve repurposed flowers that I’ve recieved into these. When the sent starts to fade, just add whatever EO sent you like to liven it up again. Cheap and easy, not to mention you don’t have to experiment with all of the other stuff. Hope this helps.

If you want to use a food processor, allow your soap to dry out. I’ve found that if I open up the soap packages when I put them away, by the time I need them to make more detergent they’ve dried up and will cleanly grate or food process into a powder–similar in texture to washing soda and borox. As far as I know, letting the soap dry out doesn’t affect its cleaning power.

Alrighty then, yes Crunchy Betty, this was much easier than the liquid laundry detergent I’ve been making, thanks for putting your spin on the recipe. Hey there Kathy, I use this in my HE machine with no problem – less is always better! Keep up the good work ya’ll. Thanks & Happy Trails!

love reading your post, if your not a writer already, you should be. I actually do 4 c borax 3 c washing 1 c soda 1/2 bar shredded zote. I mix together including 50 drops of orange essential oil and then put 1-2 cups in a processor at a time. it does not stick when you’ve mixed the dry with the soap, and definitely helps break the soap peices down. I don’t notice a real strong orange smell, but a faint nice smell.

I’ve never liked the commercial scents because they always gave me headaches, but my friend makes the most amazing homemade soaps that are scented with various oils, and she sewed a cover to put on a bar so it can be kept with laundry. I put it in my drawer, and now everything I wear smells so good I could just keep my nose stuck to it all day :)

Really disappointed with this. :( Went out and bought everything, made it exactly as directed, and I’ve washed the same shirt twice. I could see deodorant marks after the first time I washed it, and I can still smell it after the second time. Went ahead and gave up and tossed it in the dryer. I’m going back to regular detergent.

That’s too bad. I have an old machine and wash in cold water but I still have wonderful results with homemade detergent. Maybe you should consider homemade deodorant too…. if the regular gunk sticks on your clothing after 2 washes, why would you want it on your body? Just sayin.

I’ve been using this recipe for quite a while now…..I love Fels Naptha!!! Haven’t been able to find the Zote…Found some colgate octagon soap though…also i use a potato peeler, just for my laundry soap…for fragrance, i throw in a few pellets of lavender unstoppables…cant resist their smell!!

Well, I just used this recipe to make laundry detergent for the first time. I have not tried it out yet because i finished only a minute ago and I am typing this while my son is napping. I used Zote, which is super cheap. Less than $1 per bar. I got the white bars instead of pink and now I understand why you use pink. Well, I know why I will use pink in the future. The pink grated Zote contrasts the white color of the borax and washing soda, and I feel, would give me peace of mind that the concoction was thoroughly mixed. Also, I do not recommend making a double batch…. :)… I bought two bars of Zote and after I had grated the first, I thought, to heck with it, I might as well grate the second now and get it all done with. I had no idea that I would come up with this much detergent. Also, I had to transfer to a different larger container twice. This reminds me that I should think ahead and pay attention to portions!! I am super excited to try this out. Also, if I use 1/8 cup per load, this will get me 176 loads… for about $6… hehehe

LOVE this post! I too have the same problem with originality, but have decided to pretend I am original with some things and accept when I’m obviously not with others. I just made the detergent and I can’t wait to try it. I used Dr. Bronner’s All-One Hemp Lavender because the fels naptha gave me a head ache and I couldn’t find zote. I hope it works and maybe some of the lavender smell will stick; if not when my lavender plants mature I will dry them and try that trick one of your readers suggested. Again thank you for your wit and recipe!

I just made this wit Fels Naptha and am so excited to try it! A few tips: I couldn’t find washing soda or fels naptha/zote/ivory (in packets less than 10) at target BUT did find washing soda and fels naptha at wal mart! Right next to each other in the laundry aisle. My soap bar was only 5.5 ounces (compared to your zote bar at 14!) and made exactly 2 cups grated. Smells great and cant wait to test it out!

Fun fact: “Zote” is from Mexico and is actualy Jabon Zote… -ote is an ending attached to words to magnify it in Spanish, in this case, really express how big something is. So if you put a lot of cheese on something, you could say, que quesote!! So Jabon Zote translates to “big @$$ soap” which….it is!

I use homemade with borax, washing soda and felsnsptha, but am disappointed with the results. It doesn’t seem to wash well. I asked some hand me downs and they still smell musty. It doesn’t wash food stains off ds clothes either. I won’t go back to regular detergent though. Need help!

Leana, for tough stains on clothes I keep a solid bar of Fels Naptha soap on hand. Just wet the stain and one end of the soap bar, then firmly rub the wet soap into the stained fabric. (Like using an eraser). I usually let it set for several hours or overnight before washing. I have also made a liquid version of this laundry detergent, (instructions found on YouTube), and put some of the concentrated gel into an old squeeze bottle, (from honey or agave syrup or something), and then can squirt the soap directly onto the stain with a little more precision. My husband gets ring around the collar, so this method has proved to be very useful.

i read on another blog that it is perfectly safe (if not more so than regular detergents) for HE machines since there are no suds. i’ve been making/using a recipe of 1 c washing soda, 1 c borax, 1 bar grated fels naptha (or ivory) for about 2 months now and i love it. i still use regular fabric softener b/c my significant other has to have his clothes “smelly” when they come out of the dryer, though.

Nothing, just shake the container before measuring.it into your washer. Good as new. The ingredients naturally seperate when it settles. If it really bothers you, there are recipes online for liquid, but you have to shake that too before using.

Is it okay to just use two boxes of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda instead of combined with the Borax soap? From what I understand, the Borax soap has boric acid, a potential hormone disrupter in it. I still see it used on many natural sites.

Is it okay to just use two boxes of Arm & Hammer Washing Soda instead of combined with the Borax soap? From what I understand, the Borax soap has boric acid, a potential hormone disrupter in it. I still see it used on many natural sites.

I love this stuff. I took the advise from a poster below. When I buy my zote I open up the package so it starts to dry. Then after I grat it I let it sit out for a few days to dry out some more. After I add the borox and washing soda I blend it all up in the magic bullet.
I was able to find zote at Kmart.

Can glycerine soap be used in place of ivory and zote? I am making some for my sister and she is really against palm products and pure glycerin soap is the only one I’ve found that is palm oil free.

I’ve grated it now and it smells incredibly strong with that soapy essence. Im thinking of letting it dry out then bathing it in citrus essential oils and then letting it dry again… Hopefully it will have a nice smell or no smell at all when the laundry is done

I save all my citrus peels (removing all fruit) and let them infuse white vinegar for a cleaning boost and a slight lingering scent. I’m going to try soaking fabric in this vinegar, I hope a slight scent will linger!

I use white distilled vinager as a “fabric softener”. For scent I pour a small bottle of essential oils into a gallon of vinegar. When doing a load of laundry, just shake the bottle well and add to you machine like you would a commercial softener. The smell (the essential oils, not the vinegar) stays in the clothes even after the dryer. You can adjust the amount of “smell” you add…..obviously the more you add, the stronger the scent. Let me know how it works for ya.

[…] giving away the whole crunchy farm here lately.Â Between my favorite hair rinse recipe and the homemade laundry detergent I can’t live without – and then this here, today, this frighteningly effective […]

[…] the title, you can infer that I am speaking about homemade laundry detergent. I found the recipe on Crunchy Betty over two years ago, and have been happy with it since day 1. Not only is it functional, but now I […]

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